Side By Side
by Stabson
Summary: They did everything together. If one was happy, so was the other. If one was crying, they were crying together. If one hadn't slept, neither had the other. E/O
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I've read many Elliot death one-shots, and frankly, they kind of piss me off. Why is it _Elliot _that always has to die? I've only read about two Olivia death stories. Anyway, I was thinking about this long and hard, and came up with this story, which is my take on what would happen if they had to die. And I don't own anything. Poor me : (

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They were the greatest team that he had ever seen. Over the length of their partnership, they had shown that time and time again. They could solve the hardest cases, better than anyone else. Over the years, they've had so much shit going against them, so many arguments, and even a few temporary re-assignments, especially on her part, but they always ended up together again. Their partnership, their _friendship, _continued to grow.

They were both amazing cops. The captain had looked at both of their files… he had scored a 100% on both his entry exam and his physical test. He could shoot a perfect bull's-eye with both his right and left hand, from his time in the Marines, no doubt… and he finished first in his class. He was an amazing detective, with both the perps and the victims. The captain couldn't believe how he could go from screaming, throwing chairs, and pinning guys up against walls, to quiet, supportive and comforting in a matter of seconds.

She was something else. She, like him, had finished at the top of her class in the academy, and a ninety-five on her entry exam. She was amazing with the victims; she could take the shyest, most scared girl and make her talk with her gentle voice and warm personality.

As soon as they shook hands for the first time, he knew something great had been born. They fed off of each other, her strengths were his weaknesses and vice versa. They had a connection so deep that they could have entire conversations with just their eyes. In the captain's entire career, in all of his _life, _he had never seen something so deep, so amazing.

When they came to him exactly ten years, five months and seventeen days into their partnership and told him that they loved each other and were together, he wasn't surprised in the least bit. He had known since day one that they would end up together.

So he gave them his blessing, and told them that he would protect them from IAB as best they could.

What happened only six months later had sent shock waves through not only the department, but all of the NYPD. They'd been working on a hard case. A young girl had been raped and killed, dumped in an alley. Slit throat, missing fingers and covered with a sheet. The M.O. matched five other cases in the tri-state area.

The entire squad worked on it around the clock for almost a week… Elliot and Olivia especially. They didn't leave the precinct, not once. Finally, the dynamic duo had come up with a perp… they'd found DNA at the third crime scene.

But the next day, Olivia went missing; they found a note from their perp, James Canfield. Elliot went crazy. He searched everywhere, looked over every scrap of evidence, and stayed at the precinct for the next two weeks searching for a lead.

And finally, Canfield called him. Cragen didn't know the specifics of the conversation… he just remembered the angry, murderous look on his tired, stubbly face, and following him out of the precinct.

Elliot said not to follow him, that James would kill Olivia if anyone else showed up. He didn't listen… he followed Elliot anyway, knowing that the detective would probably be facing IAB and possible murder charges if he didn't.

But that would've been better than what happened next. Elliot stopped at an abandoned old warehouse by the docks, and Cragen followed him inside, hiding behind a huge stack of boxes as he watched the horrifying scene that unfolded in front of him.

Olivia was being held by James, a gun pressed to her temple. She was bruised and bloody, her clothes were dirty and torn, but she was alive. Elliot was more enraged and terrified than the captain had ever seen. Canfield told Elliot to put his gun down, or he'd shoot Olivia, but all perps said that. It was nothing new. Elliot told him that if he didn't let Olivia go, he's shoot him.

Everything went in slow motion after that. There was a huge bang, signaling that the gun went off, and Olivia fell to the ground, blood dripping from a gunshot wound to the head.

"NOOOOO!!!" Elliot had yelled in the loudest, most broken voice that Cragen had ever heard, cracking at the end.

"Elliot, stop," he had heard himself shouting, but it had been too late. Elliot had dropped his gun, and ran towards his partner… his best friend, his lover. And before he could reach her, Canfield shot him directly in the chest.

Cragen had shot Canfield three times, head, chest, and head, against all the rules. He remembered running to Elliot, the man that was like a son to him, knowing that Olivia had been gone as soon as she hit the floor.

"What the hell was that?" he had shouted, trying to cover up his sorrow and worry with anger as he ripped off his jacket and covered Elliot's wound with it.

His face had scared the captain to death… pale, sweaty and shaking, his eyes filled with sorrow, regret, and something that Cragen could only describe as love. Deep, impenetrable love.

"Don't," Elliot had whispered so soft that Cragen almost missed it, in a broken tone, "I'm already dead."

Cragen had taken his hands away from his chest slowly, tears forming in his eyes, breaking his hard-ass captain image as he realized that Elliot was right. Even if his body healed, which would have been a miracle within itself, he would be dead inside without his other half.

"You two are the best," he had said sadly, watching as his best remaining detective die slowly.

Elliot had smiled, a small weak smile, his eyes had fluttered closed, and that was it. He was gone. And the captain had cried. He had stayed in that position, and cried softly for the loss of the two halves of his best detective, for the loss of his son and his daughter.

They had done everything together. If one was happy, so was the other. If one was crying, they were crying together. If one hadn't slept, neither had the other. And now, they had died together, not even two feet apart from each other.

Captain Cragen put the picture of Elliot and Olivia back into his desk, the one that adorned the desk of everyone in the precinct, and picked up a pen, neatly signing the bottom of his resignation papers. SVU would never be the same without the dynamic duo.

He only hoped that wherever they were… Heaven, or Hell, or wherever you went after you died, they were together… no IAB, no cases to solve, no fighting or sorrow. He only hoped that they were side by side, because that's were they belonged. They were his proof… his proof, that even with all the evil in the world, all the rape and murder and greed… true love really did exist.

--END--

"Nothing is forever, not even death."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so I know that this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I just couldn't help myself. I still don't own anything, unfortunately.

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It had been a mistake. Someone, somewhere, had made a terrible mistake. Two lives, two precious, valuable lives of two benevolent, caring people had been lost, stolen from the world, before their time. Far, far before their time.

Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler had been ripped from life far too soon. As each of their twenty-one gun salutes exploded through the skies, someone, somewhere far beyond human perception realized their grave mistake. This had not been part of the plan. This wasn't supposed to happen. It had to be corrected. And it would be.

_Laughter was heard as Elliot and Olivia entered her apartment. If anyone on the street had seen them, they would have sworn that the two detectives were drunk. But they both had only one drink that night. They were just happy to be together, high off of each other's presence. They collapsed on the couch together, their laughter dying down. _

"_Damn, Liv," Elliot said, shaking his head as he leaned back, "There's something wrong with us."_

_Olivia chuckled, patting him on the chest, "you're just figuring that out now? And you call yourself a detective."_

"_Hey," he said in mock hurt, "Here I thought you loved me."_

"_I do," Olivia answered, her face suddenly becoming serious, "I really do."_

_Their heads slowly moved closer, as if on their own accord, closing the distance between them. And their foreheads were pressed together. Both of them wanted this desperately… needed it, but they were too afraid to close the distance, too afraid of rejection. _

_Their eyes met, and emotion flashed between them, telling them everything they needed to know. It was okay now. Their lips met in a gentle, earth-shattering kiss. Waves crashed up on beaches, fireworks exploded through the sky, lightning struck, and thunder rumbled. Volcanoes erupted, wolves howled, and dolphins jumped through the air. _

_The world seemed to have stopped in that single moment, with their lips pressed together in the most magical and wonderful kiss ever. _

_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their lips fell apart. The world resumed, just as a paused video would after play had been pressed. People all around the world couldn't help but believe that something amazing had happened. _

_Elliot reached up and ran the side of his thumb along her chin, keeping his forehead pressed to hers, unsure of what to do next. _

"_El," she whispered, also unsure. _

_He had a sudden, unexplainable urge to tell her how he really felt about her, and so he leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to her jaw, "I love you, Liv."_

_Her heart filled with warmth as he said those three words. A smile spread across her lips, "I love you, too, El."_

_It felt as if she was meant to say that, and that it was her destiny to be sitting next to him, confessing her love for him. They were both filled with an incredible happiness that filled them inside and out, a happiness that neither of them had ever felt before. They pressed their lips together in another amazing kiss._

Tears fell from the eyes of Captain Cragen, the squad, and Elliot's family as the coffins were lowered into the ground.

Suddenly, Cragen felt a spark, and felt them… he knew that it was impossible, that they were gone… but he felt that aura… the aura that always surrounded the two of them. His eyes were drawn to one of the tall oak trees several yards away, and he could see them sitting in the grass, leaning against the trunk, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, her head resting against him. Smiles covered both of their faces.

Cragen blinked, and then they were gone. He shook his head, sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. A cool breeze blew past, and he could hear their whispering voices pass through his ears.

_Olivia leaned back against the couch, forcing Elliot on top of her, never breaking their kiss, which had become passionate and needy. Clothes were peeled away from each other's bodies, and hands explored bare skin with wonder, memorizing every curve and dip._

_There was heat and passion as the night turned into the most romantic experience of both of their lives. Their bodies fit together like matching puzzle pieces, like they were meant to be together. _

_Morning found the couple cuddling together in bed, sharing gentle, loving kisses and touches. Sunlight shone through the window, lighting and warming only them, as if the Heavens had cast everything else away._

Captain Cragen walked into the precinct, ready to pack up his things and leave SVU behind forever. It had been a week since that day in the warehouse… Elliot and Olivia's desks sat, abandoned, and still covered with their personal things, no one having the heart to remove them yet, because as soon as they did, it would be true. They would really be gone forever, leaving nothing behind but their memories.

_Elliot and Olivia walked into the precinct, smiles plastered across their faces, a sort of glow around them. They stood so close that their shoulders blushed together with every move. _

"_Captain," Elliot called, seeing the Cragen walk towards his office. _

"Captain," Cragen heard was about to enter his office and close the door.

He turned toward the source of the voice.

_Cragen turned towards him, and Elliot and Olivia's hands gravitated towards each other's… _

Brown eyes met blue, a small hand met a large, and a flash of brilliant white light exploded from the room, spreading across every part of the planet, moon, and stars.

It had been a mistake. Someone somewhere had made a terrible mistake. Two lives, two precious, valuable lives of two benevolent, caring people had been lost, stolen from the world, before their time. Far, far before their time.

Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler had been ripped from life far too soon. As the white light faded, a new world emerged. The mistake had been corrected.

Elliot walked into the warehouse, and Cragen followed, taking cover behind a huge stack of boxes. Olivia was standing there, Canfield behind her, pressing a gun to her temple.

Before anyone could say anything, a single bullet was fired from a single gun.

TBC

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A/N: I know it's short and I know it's a cliffhanger, but I had to do it! Review?


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